Villains in movies can often make or break a film. The relationship between the hero and villain becomes a key part of the narrative and a threatening, complex villain can easily take a film to the next level. In 2021, this was no different. Some of these villains are complex characters whose motivations make them commit unforgivable acts while others are just evil foes who love being evil. Many of these villains come from recognizable franchises like Mortal Kombat and Spider-Man while others are completely new.

It can be easy to talk about super villains since these enemies usually create high-stake scenarios, there are the smaller villains who can simply make others' lives miserable. Also, villains can be dependent on the performers who revel in the wickedness or tragedy of their roles. It can also be important for filmmakers to allow the audience to decide who the villains are instead of being so obvious. Filmmakers like Ridley Scott and Jane Campion did a great job of not directly telling the audience who to hate, simply letting us judge them by their actions. 2021 had some great villains, even in moves you may have missed. Here are the nine best movie villains of 2021.

RELATED: 8 Other Films Featuring The Villains Of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'

Kano in Mortal Kombat

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Image via HBO Max

Kano (Josh Lawson) may not have been the most threatening enemy of Mortal Kombat nor is he the most important to the narrative, but he is by far the most entertaining. In fact, Kano may have been the best part of this movie. Lawson is clearly having the time of his life in this role. He simply revels in being a jackass and is only interested in doing what’s best for him.

He changes his motivations on a dime once he realizes he may be on the losing side. Still, it’s hard to hate him because his dialogue is very funny, and his Australian accent gives him even more of an edge. While he’s not nearly as menacing as Shang Tsung (Chin Han) or Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), he is simply more memorable by being a fascinating character. Hopefully, Kano returns for the sequel because it just won’t be as much fun without him.

President Orlean in Don’t Look Up

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Image Via Netflix

There are a lot of villains in Don’t Look Up. Whether they mean to be or not, there are characters like Mark Rylance’s billionaire Peter Isherwell whose God-like ego places earth in even more danger, or Cate Blanchett’s Brie Evantee, a talk-show host who places money over reality. However, Meryl Streep as President Orlean steals the show and really encapsulates what is so frustrating about modern-day politicians and this also extends to her obnoxious son (Jonah Hill).

While she is a clear parody of a certain recent president, she reflects a lot about what is wrong with current politics. The constant desire to be re-elected and maintain power leads to huge issues being ignored. Stopping the comet should be a bipartisan effort, but she doesn’t believe her supporters care enough about it. It isn’t until addressing the comet benefits her politically that she does anything about it, but she clearly doesn’t care about what happens to her constituents. Her greed eventually gets in the way, and she eventually dooms everyone else through her own selfishness. We can all agree that she deserves to get eaten by a *checks notes* Bronteroc.

Wenwu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Image Via Disney

Easily one of Marvel’s most compelling villains yet, Wenwu (Tony Leung), or The Mandarin, is the head of the ten rings, a vast criminal empire that has had tremendous influence throughout history. However, Wenwu is willing to give up the power given to him by the ten rings after he meets a beautiful woman who would later become his wife and mother to Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). When she is tragically killed, he goes on a warpath of vengeance and is willing to do whatever it takes to possibly bring her back.

What makes Wenwu so interesting is that his motives aren’t simply out of evil or a lust for power. He is a man desperately in love and is even willing to fight his own children and sacrifice the rest of the world to find love once more. He is relentless and Leung’s performance makes Wenwu a threatening foe. His dynamic with Shang-Chi creates an emotional core that makes their final battle emotionally investing. You may not agree with Wenwu’s actions, but his motives are understandable even if he goes too far.

Phil Burbank in The Power of the Dog

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Image via Netflix

Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) is somewhat of a tragic character. Still mourning the death of his mentor Bronco Henry, Phil feels a gigantic emptiness in his soul. Not only does he admire Bronco Henry, but he has a love for him that he was never able to share. So, Phil often overcompensates by acting like the manly cowboy who bullies others and leads his own gang of riders. Once his brother George (Jesse Plemons) finds someone to love in Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil becomes incredibly jealous, leading him to lash out at Rose and make her life a living hell. However, this comes back to bite him as her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who has also been abused by Phil in the past, does whatever it takes to protect his mother. Cumberbatch’s performance here is incredible, and he does a masterful job at creating such a hateful character who draws out other emotions like pity and disgust. However, he is still ultimately a villainous character towards his brother and Rose, even if he himself is a victim of the surrounding society.

Jacques le Gris in The Last Duel

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Image Via 20th Century Studios

In The Last Duel, Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver) is a power-hungry squire who becomes obsessed with his new level of stature after befriending Count Pierre (Ben Affleck). He essentially betrays Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) by switching his loyalties and he ends up looking down upon him, so much so that he becomes incredibly jealous of Marguerite (Jodie Comer) choosing him. He falls in love with her and refuses to be denied, believing that it is reciprocated.

The rape scene is violent and disturbing, showing that le Gris is someone who takes whatever he wants and doesn’t consider Marguerite to be an equal, simply another object he wants to obtain. Ridley Scott’s decision to show the rape scene twice from two different perspectives really emphasizes how vicious this action was. From le Gris’ perspective, it’s still vile, however, the signals from Marguerite aren’t as extreme. In Marguerite’s perspective, her desperation and fear are heightened, really showing that there is no way le Gris could’ve mistaken her pleas to stop for anything else. Even until the very end, le Gris refuses to come clean and is fully convinced that he had done no wrong. Driver’s performance may be charming at times, but there is no denying that his character is anything but a disgusting rapist.

Gabriel in Malignant

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Image via Warner Bros.

Gabriel (Ray Chase) is believed to be a vicious killer who is haunting Madison (Annabelle Wallis) and making her life a nightmare. While this is partly true, it turns out that Gabriel is actually a parasitic twin who is stuck to the back of Madison’s head and is able to take control of her brain and body. This is revealed in all of its campy glory by James Wan, who genuinely makes Gabriel look rather frightening. He is a gross, gory mess who is made up mostly of brain tissue and skull.

Not only that, but Gabriel has superhuman abilities. He is telekinetic where he is able to control lights and electricity, and he is an excellent fighter. This comes to play when he kills almost every single cop and prisoner in a bloody, brutal action sequence that is well-directed by Wan and almost feels like it belongs in Aquaman. Malignant is a truly self-aware horror movie that embraces its campy nature and Gabriel is the cherry on top.

The Baroness in Cruella

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Image via Disney

While Emma Stone shines as the classic Disney villain, Emma Thompson steals the show as The baroness, a wickedly evil fashion dynamo. The baroness is an incredibly wealthy woman who runs her own fashion empire with an iron fist. She shows almost no happiness and is snotty and pretentious. She will do anything to keep her wealth and power even if that includes killing Cruella’s mother and even attempting to kill Cruella herself, who turns out to be the daughter of the baroness in a shocking but odd twist.

The baroness is a great villain because she brings out the worst in our protagonist. The Estella persona is kindhearted but mischievous, while Cruella is vindictive and manipulative. She dons the Cruella persona to get revenge on the baroness, however, this lust for vengeance consumes her, and she becomes controlled by her evil persona, the one that would become the villain we know in 101 Dalmatians. However, no matter how evil Cruella may be, she doesn’t hold a candle to just how horrible the baroness is.

Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci

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Image Via United Artists Releasing

The unique thing about House of Gucci is that there really isn’t a protagonist. While we mostly follow Patrizia (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), the film is mainly about the dog-eat-dog world of business. Patrizia is someone who always wants to be on top. Once she heard Maurizio’s last name, she knew she had to have a piece of the pie. While her love for Maurizio is real, she is often working out of selfish motives, claiming she’s doing what’s best for her family or for the business.

She even manipulates the Gucci family, turning Paolo (Jared Leto) and Aldo (Al Pacino) against each other, eventually kicking both of them out of the business. She then gets her revenge on Maurizio after he divorces her by ordering his assassination, which she does get her comeuppance for. Still, the Gucci business and family were impacted horribly by Patrizia’s actions, and she ended up crumbling everything like a bull in a Gucci store.

Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home

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Image via Marvel Studios

Willem Dafoe returns as this iconic villain from 2002’s Spider-Man, and it's almost as if he never left. Green Goblin is truly Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) greatest foe and pushes him to his limits. He causes mayhem wherever he goes, and he even kills Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), leading to Peter Parker being truly conflicted about his responsibilities as a hero. While there are 4 other villains, Green Goblin is the one who drives the narrative as the main conduit of evil.

Plus, it helps that Dafoe makes this character ten times more terrifying. His wicked smile, iconic laugh, and crazy dialogue make the goblin a menacing creature who causes despair just for the fun of it. Even when Peter is brutally beating on him, he can't help but laugh. Underneath the goblin lies Norman Osborn, desperately trying to figure out a way to get rid of him. Norman becomes a sympathetic character, but it becomes a challenge to save him when the green goblin is so dangerous. Still, Green Goblin remains iconic and it is so great to see him back in action in Spider-Man: No Way Home.